Werner Schmidt (composer)

Werner A. Schmidt (born July 30, 1925 in Bad Kissingen , Lower Franconia ; † March 14, 2007 in Schwetzingen , Rhein-Neckar-Kreis , Baden-Württemberg ) was a German composer and pianist .

Life

After the Second World War Schmidt came to jazz during the American occupation and played a. a. with Günter Noris . Having grown into the bebop era , Schmidt never let go of this jazz style. Up until old age he was “an enthusiastic and inspiring jazz pianist” (quote from Günther Noris). But jazz was only one of its many musical and artistic facets.

Because originally Schmidt was a composition student a. a. by Carl Orff and Karl Amadeus Hartmann . He later received a doctorate in philosophy from the Ludwig Maximilians University in Munich with a dissertation on an Aristotelian topic. His doctoral supervisor was Ernesto Grassi (1902–1991), the important Italian exponent of existentialism .

Since 1975 Schmidt taught composition and counterpoint at the Mannheim University of Music , where he later received a professorship , which he held until 1992. He had his primary residence in Schwetzingen.

Schmidt's preference belonged to his compositional activity. His works - the catalog raisonné he created himself includes two dozen larger compositions - often have jazz elements. But twelve-tone moves and a pronounced expressive personal style are decisive . His last great work was the composition "Apocalypsis" , which like many other of his works has not yet been performed.

Initially, Prof. Dr. phil. Werner A. Schmidt was buried on March 19, 2007 in the municipal cemetery in Schwetzingen. It was not until four months later that his urn was buried on July 25, 2007 in the park cemetery of his native Bad Kissingen.